Q+A CENTER

When the fashionistas go to shows to watch models sashay down the runway displaying the latest lines of couture, they probably have no idea what it took to make it happen.

Traditionally, designers had to physically create cloth samples of the clothing for prototyping and to show potential investors. Often, they had to redesign the first effort. All of this takes time and money.

“With every new style, we have to alter it, create a prototype and ship them,” says Gadi Zadikoff, VP of Research & Development at OptiTex Ltd. (Petach Tikva, Israel). “If there are any problems, you have to ship them back and forth. And there are six or eight seasons each year.”

OptiTex develops Microsoft Windows-based 2D/3D CAD/CAM software solutions for the textile industry, including apparel, accessories and automotive. The same virtual prototyping technology that’s used in gaming and movies now is playing a role in fashion design.

Fashion designers can use the process to simulate the look and movement of clothing designs on virtual models, allowing them to review, refine and measure samples even before the first piece of fabric is cut.